Chicago takes its time transporting isle crowd

If you remember Chicago only as a light-rock group that produced a string of hit ballads in the 1970s and 1980s, you might have been a little impatient with the first hour of the band’s concert Sunday night at Blaisdell Arena.

Although trombonist James Pankow promised the show would feature Chicago’s greatest hits — and they eventually delivered — the nine-piece band kicked off the three-hour show with music that harked back to the jazz- and rock-infused sound it experimented with in the late ’60s, when the group was known as the Chicago Transit Authority. This section included lesser-known songs and the title track of Chicago’s newest album, “Now.”

While the near-sellout crowd’s response was polite, it wasn’t until the band delved deep into its catalog for such sentimental hits as “If You Leave Me Now” that audience members began bobbing and swaying in their seats.

The current version of Chicago features three of its seven founders: trumpeter Lee Loughnane, Robert Lamm on keyboard and Pankow. Jason Scheff, who took over for former frontman and bassist Peter Cetera in 1985, ably handled the majority of lead vocals. Both Cetera and Scheff sing high tenor — almost to the point of falsetto — and the latter demonstrated his vocal fluidity and range with “Hard Habit to Break” and other tunes.

Many of the band members played multiple roles, swapping out a guitar for a keyboard here and a saxophone for a flute there. Scheff switched off on vocals with Lamm for a few songs. The other keyboardist, Lou Pardini, who joined Chicago in 2009, and Loughnane also sang lead on a couple of songs. Loughnane’s rendition of “Color My World” garnered a huge reaction from fans. Pankow was notable not only for his work, but also his high energy.

A highlight of the concert included a trio of ballads that let Scheff, Lamm and Pardini shine individually. Each singer performed solo with only a keyboard pulled up to the front of the stage for accompaniment.

Scheff offered “Will You Still Love Me” for his solo turn. He wrote the song during the 1980s when Chicago went off in a new direction that produced one hit love song after another. However, Scheff said he composed the ballad based on his father’s experience touring with Elvis Presley. The elder Scheff, also a bass player, performed with Presley at his landmark 1973 concert at the Blaisdell Arena.

Chicago, one of the longest-running bands in rock history, stuck closely to the original arrangements of its biggest hits, not so much because the musicians were playing it safe, but to please their legion of fans.

Based upon the number of cellphones that lit up during “Hard to Say I’m Sorry,” fans were pleased.

Chicago performs at 7 p.m. today at the Maui Arts &Cultural Center. For information and tickets, visit mauiarts.org.